Molecular genetic basis of the histo-blood group ABO system
Abstract
The histo-blood group ABO, the major human alloantigen system, involves three carbohydrate antigens (ABH). A, B and AB individuals express glycosyltransferase activities converting the H antigen into A or B antigens, whereas 0(H) individuals lack such activity. Here we present a molecular basis for the ABO genotypes. The A and B genes differ in a few single-base substitutions, changing four amino-acid residues that may cause differences in A and B transferase specificity. A critical single-base deletion was found in the 0 gene, which results in an entirely different, inactive protein incapable of modifying the H antigen.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- May 1990
- DOI:
- 10.1038/345229a0
- Bibcode:
- 1990Natur.345..229Y